The University of Maine football team moved up one spot to No. 23 in the STATS FCS Top 25 poll after its 28-9 win over Albany on Saturday. The Black Bears were unranked in the FCS coaches’ poll, but received the most votes for an unranked team with 28.

UMaine is 5-3, 4-1 in the Colonial Athletic Conference. The Black Bears face Towson University, ranked 15th in both national polls, at 4 p.m. Saturday. Towson is 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference after a 40-36 loss to Delaware on Saturday.

BAYLOR: Starting quarterback Charlie Brewer is in a concussion protocol and his status is uncertain for Saturday’s home game against Oklahoma State.

Coach Matt Rhule said Monday that Brewer is under a doctor’s care while going through the steps of the protocol.

Brewer completed only 1 of 8 passes for 22 yards in Baylor’s 58-14 loss at No. 12 West Virginia on Thursday. The sophomore threw three interceptions and was sacked three times.

OKLAHOMA: Coach Lincoln Riley says he’s not interested in the NFL right now.

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The question came up at his weekly news conference Monday, the same day the Cleveland Browns fired Coach Hue Jackson. The 35-year-old Riley, who led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff last season in his first year as head coach, is considered one of the rising stars in coaching. He got a new five-year, $25 million deal this summer.

Riley coached Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma, fueling speculation that there might be mutual interest between the parties. Riley anticipated the question.

“You sit here and answer these questions and I always want to be truthful,” he said. “And the truth for me is, I love Oklahoma. I love coaching here. I love college football. I certainly don’t have that itch right now. I don’t know if I ever will.”

JACKSON STATE: The school fired Coach Tony Hughes after less than three seasons.

Jackson State announced the move after losing to rival Southern 41-7 on Saturday. Defensive coordinator John Hendrick will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Hughes had a 9-20 record at Jackson State, including a 3-4 mark this year. The veteran coach came to Jackson State after a long career as an assistant coach at several schools, including Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Ole Miss.

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PLAYOFFS: There are a lot of new voices in the room for the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Six of the 13 members are serving for the first time.

“Certainly no change in the process … but every time anyone leaves a boardroom, and a new person comes in, there are subtle chemistry changes,” said CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock.

The selection committee gathered Monday for the start of a two-day meeting at a North Texas hotel to go over the extensive data and outcomes from the first nine weeks of the season. The first ranking for the CFP’s fifth season will be revealed Tuesday.


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